PLANS for a new building to expand childcare provision at a Cwmbran primary school could be given the green light by planners next week.

The building - at Llantarnam Community Primary School, in Llantarnam Road - would provide childcare facilities for the local community.

If approved, it will be situated to the west of the existing main school building, which is reached via James Prosser Way. 

A planning report on the proposal states that the facility “will be operated by a local childcare provider who currently occupy a classroom in the main school”.

“They provide a childcare service for the local community and wraparound care for the school nursery.

“Due to an increase in the number of children attending the school from September, the childcare provider is unable to continue to operate from the main school building.”

The opening hours of the school’s childcare facility is currently 9am-3pm on weekdays.

It has capacity for 18 children.

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The report says that if the new facility is approved, it may take on pre-school and after-school childcare in the future.

Llantarnam Community Primary School was built on the former site of Llantarnam Comprehensive School, under the provisions, and with funding from, the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools programme.

The school opened in November 2016

It takes in children from three to 11 years of age, and has a current capacity for 315 pupils.

Councillor Alan Slade, Llantarnam ward member on Torfaen County Borough Council, said he supported the application, which would provide “a much-needed resource to sit alongside the primary school”.

However, the council has received an objection to the plans, which raises concerns over extra traffic from the facility adding to the “already dangerous level”.

The council’s highway officer has stated however, that parking and dropping-off facilities at the school site are considered to be sufficient.

A decision on the plan will be made by Torfaen’s planning committee next Tuesday, February 16.